


Graduation

by Ember_Lee



Series: The Stories Our People Sung Of [5]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Accomplishments, Family, Family Feels, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 18:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16101416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ember_Lee/pseuds/Ember_Lee
Summary: It's not everyday you get your Airbending Master Tattoos





	Graduation

A deep shaky breath, released as an equally shaky sigh. Trembling fingers tracing the meridian lines of one outstretched arm, outlining the prickled skin in wonder. So smooth, now absent of the hair that had once resided there. Pale yet slightly freckled from where the sun had marked it, contrasting with the paleness of her skin. Shivering she rubbed her bare forearm nervously, turning to appraise her full reflection in her little mirror. She felt so naked, despite being fully clothed in her appropriate summer attire, the absent layer of hair that had once coated her body stripped away. Though she regularly shaved her legs like any normal young lady, they had never been this smooth. Heck, they had even waxed the thin coat of hair on her back. Rubbing her goose-pimpled arms again, she huffed anxiously, habitually angling her lips to blow a strand of hair from across her forehead. Too late, she forgot that it was no longer there when the small breeze brushed across her creased brow.   
Knock kneed she stood in the middle of her room, unsure of what to do, unaware of one of her hands reaching up to absently brush her bare skull. As soon as her fingertips touched the dimpled flesh though her rigid composure collapsed in on itself. With sad eyes she faced her reflection properly, running her hand across the impossibly smooth, pale surface, wondering what she was meant to make of it exactly. Sure she knew what it signified and she was extremely proud of it, but was she being selfish for such a needless attachment? The boys would scoff and tease her of being a softy, but they didn’t understand. Sure hair grows back fast, but what’s to miss if you’ve never had hair longer than your pinkie nail? To a girl, a full head of hair was symbolic if not something to be vain about. Ikki would understand. Her mum would understand. Her dad though…  
 _Knock, knock._  
“Jinora?”  
Breaking her gaze from her reflection, Jinora turned to her open doorway, to discover her father standing there, a placid smile on his lips. Opening her mouth to speak she let out a dismayed gurgle. His smile just became softer and more understanding in response, as he held out a hand to her quietly.  
“It’s time.”  
After acquiring another shaky breathe and sigh through her nostrils, Jinora reached out to accept his hand and let him guide her out of her room and down the hallway, heading for the courtyard. They treaded softly and with practiced ease, yet she swore that her footsteps were as heavy as an earthbender’s as they were filled with so much emotion. She still couldn’t find the will or strength to convey this vocally, so she squeezed her father’s gentle hand, her grip shaking against his fingers. He just returned the gesture comfortingly, knowing that when she wanted to speak, she would.   
Walking out into the familiar courtyard, she relinquished the feel of the soft summer breeze across her bare arms and scalp, reminded of simpler days when she had first learnt how to use a glider, though it didn’t stop her from scuttling closer to her father, her nerves starting to get the better of her. From around his arm she could see her family gathered under the eaves of the walkway, their proud gazes watching as she was lead by. She saw her mum crying as she cuddled Rohan closer, despite his eager tug to pull away from her and watch Jinora pass. Ikki was standing at their side, her hands clasped together with childish joy, her own gaze watered with unshed tears. Turning her head she caught Meelo’s eye, watching as he grinned and waggled his arms about, imitating a leaf in the breeze, knowing it’d bring a smile to her face. She rewarded him with one thankfully before burying her burning face in her father’s back as he continued to lead the way.  
They kept walking until, eventually he stopped, in the middle of the painted ying-yang, overlooked by the temple. Here he had already set up some towels, a bowl of water, some dye and brushes…and a razor. Gulping slightly at the sight of it, Jinora quenched her fears as she bowed to the temple, the statue of her grandfather out in the bay, and her father, before settling down in her meditation stance, waiting for the pain she knew was about to come. Wordlessly, Tenzin dabbed at her skull with a damp towel before reaching for the razor.  
“Are you okay Jinora?”  
Taking a deep, calming breathe, she closed her eyes.  
“I’m ready.”  
The pain was extraordinary. She couldn’t contain the scream of agony when the blade first pierced her skin, followed by the sting of water to wash away the blood. She almost laughed at the tickling sensation of the brush as it deposited the blue dye over her tender flesh, but the pain was beginning to numb her of all feeling. And the process had just started.   
Methodically her father applied the tattoo bit by bit, taking care to carefully cover the raw skin after each section was complete. She kept her teeth clenched, her fists poised on her knees in an effort of self control, her white knuckles glaring in the sunshine. She had to accept the pain. Even if her skin burned and ached with each layer being maimed, even if her skin scarred for the first couple of months, she had to keep reminding herself of what the tattoo represented, what all of this would mean once it was complete.   
Pausing in his work, her father reached behind him and brought forward a jug of water, offering some to her to drink. Gratefully she washed away the blood caked to her lips, feeling it seep over the teeth indentations she had undoubtedly made, before passing down her parched throat. Her head and neck ached beyond belief, and she was dehydrated more than she cared to be, but she swallowed the pain and readied herself for the rest that was to come.   
Hours went by, as Tenzin painstakingly etched out the Airbending Master’s Tattoo across her back and skull, taking great care not to harm her anymore than necessary. Once he reached the base of her spin, he sighed before packing up his equipment and informed her that they were done for the day. She could barely stand once she had managed to clamber to her feet, and gratefully accepted his help back to her room. For a week, the process continued, with Tenzin collecting her from her bedridden state every second day to add more to the tattoo. Each day she would sit as if in meditation, apart from when he needed an arm or a leg. Each time she held back her screams and tried to stop her body with quivering in pain, ignoring the strange mixture of red and blue dying her bandages as it quickly turned a sickly brown. Each day the local healer would come and tend to the scarring, her cool hands easing away some of the ache, but never seeming to snatch it all away. Finally, when she was covered in bandages from head to toe, her young body weak with exhaustion and pain, he finished applying the last arrow on her left leg. Huffing, he shuffled uncomfortably before checking the bandage around her foot was securely tied.   
“Okay, you ready Jinora?” he asked, his gaze flickering to her bare forehead. Settling her hands in her lap, Jinora smiled weakly, unable to nod or speak her consent. He gave her a look filled with sympathy, pride, pity and fear as he lifted the razor, before making a start on the final section of her tattoo. It was hard to put up a brave front, and as the tears leaked across her cheeks, she noticed that he was trying to do the same. He knew how painful the final arrowhead was, he understood why she was valiantly trying to keep her composure, but he would also understand if she suddenly wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Compared to all the pain she had been subjected to in the past week, the final installment was most agonising of all.  
As the sun started to dip back into the ocean’s loving embrace and the skies coloured like autumn leaves, Jinora felt the last stroke of the blue tipped brush against her forehead before seeing her father’s expression crack into a wide smile. Returning the smile feebly she let him tend to the wound, welcoming the rough scratch of the bandage as it applied the much needed pressure to her woozy head.   
“Well, you’re all finished.” Tenzin muttered his voice clogged with emotion. Jinora just kept on smiling; desperately wishing she could reach out and hug him.   
“Th- ahem- thanks Dad.” She whispered, relaxing from her stance.  
“Come on. Let’s get you inside.” He murmured, helping her to her feet. Tired she slumped against him as they slowly walked back to their residence, each step painful but filled with new purpose.   
“Dad?”  
“Hmmm?”  
“Thankyou for teaching me.” She whispered, raising her head to look at him properly. “Thankyou for helping me reach my full potential.”  
She watched as her father’s face crumpled with emotion, pleasantly surprised when he tightened his arm around her shoulders in a comforting hug, despite the pain.   
“You’re welcome sweetheart.” He choked in reply. Smiling she snuggled closer to his side, the ache of her wounds diminishing. Before this whole process, the most painful thing she had ever experienced was having nearly every single hair ripped from her body. Now she didn’t mourn its loss so much. Hair could always grow back. She could already feel its subtle itch of growth on her scalp beneath the bandages. But, she reasoned to herself, it wasn’t everyday you got to require the tattoo of an airbending master. She would shave her head a thousand times over, just so everyone could see her new tattoo, a symbol she would wear with pride. And no amount of pain would ever make her regret this achievement. None what so ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Good Life- One Republic


End file.
